Democrats Call for Special Prosecutor to Investigate Trump’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

A group of Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday called for the appointment of an independent special counsel to investigate President Donald Trump’s relations with Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexual crimes, a move that returned the matter to the forefront days before the midterm elections.

The demand was based on a report prepared by aides from the House Judiciary Committee staff, and the report accuses Trump of "actively participating in Jeffrey Epstein’s assaults on young women," while noting that the report relies largely on allegations that had been previously made, according to a New York Times article.

Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in the sex‑trafficking network that linked Epstein to other accused individuals or that he was aware of it, but he has previously acknowledged a friendly relationship with Epstein before cutting ties; Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex‑trafficking charges.

The move highlights a matter separate from the investigation being conducted by the House Oversight Committee into Epstein, and it comes eight days before Election Day, as candidates step up their final appeals to voters across the country.

Democrats have used the report in the closing weeks of the campaign to try to link Republican Party officials to the Epstein case, arguing that party leaders initially opposed releasing investigative materials related to the case that were gathered by the FBI and federal prosecutors.

They have also emphasized the implications of how the government handled the Epstein case, pointing in particular to the Trump administration’s decision to transfer Ghislaine Maxwell, a close associate of Epstein who was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to a low‑security facility.

Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that the Justice Department "deliberately withheld evidence," and that "it appears to be covering up these crimes to protect the president."